Into the Shark Tank

         For the last few weeks of my Instructional Applications of the Internet course, I will be working on creating the final product pitch on my idea for a mobile learning application. As I put it all together, I will keep in mind the clever and creative techniques involved in Kickstarter campaigns and Shark Tank spiels. This endeavor is much different from anything that I have done before, as it requires me to put new skills to the test. My expertise exists in the world of education, so I have never needed to market a product as I might have been required to do if I had majored in business. I thought it would be a good idea to use this blog post as a place to share some tips that I have gathered through Internet research on worthwhile techniques that can be utilized to sell people on a product. If you are an educator reading this blog post, you may be wondering when these would ever be useful to you. This made me think about ways in which teachers market without necessarily recognizing that it is what they are doing. How about selling students on a new book? What about getting parents to support a project that you would like to do with your class? Or trying to get grant funding for a special endeavor? To accomplish all of these things with success, these tips could come in handy.

       One suggestion that I found to be useful is that moving pictures can be an especially effective way to get people interested in a product. YouTube videos, animated GIFs, and clips from Instagram or Vine are one way to accomplish this. Not only does the visual component pull people in and help them to better understand a product, but it is also how younger generations navigate the world. Check out this Vine video promoting Oreo cookies:
 


It is brief and simple, yet it gives viewers a quick idea for how to use their Oreo cookies in a way that will make their mouths water.

        But moving pictures are not the only way to persuade people to buy into a product. Infographics are another effective method to both show and explain a product or to provide potential customers with an understanding of why it is needed. If you were trying to sell a mobile learning application that would help students with spelling, an infographic with specific statistics regarding the real struggle that students have with that subject area would be warranted. These can then be easily pinned, posted, or shared through many different forums. I am sure you are familiar with infographics, but below is one that provides facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Think of the potential it would have if you were selling a product that is environmentally friendly, such as a purse made out of recycled materials. This infographic would help viewers to better understand the idea behind the product and would also help to convince them of its importance. 

     The ideas in this blog post are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of creative marketing strategies, but there is also the power of memes and online comic strips. These can be made for free and easily shared through the Internet. Check out: http://memegenerator.net/ to create your own clever meme. If you are interested in designing a comic strip that would help consumers to know more about your product or to get a clearer picture as to why you think it is important, check out Pixton. Here is an example of one to help you get a better idea of what it looks like: 

  
  It is now time for me to use these ideas to begin to put together the final product pitch for my proposed Growing Dendrites application. I hope they may be of use to you someday in a marketing endeavor. 

  Until next time...